h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I always mess up on "The Entertainer" with the left hand... should try not using my pinky on the harmony then...

Nah, that bit about using the pinky only is rubbish.

It all depends on (a) the piece being played and
(b) the version of the music you have.

The full 'Entertainer' music is something like Grade 8, and takes a while to master anyway.
The left hand section consists of the bass part and harmony part, true

However the general chord shaping for the left hand is:

a 2-finger Bass Chord
a 3-finger harmonic chord

I find that the pinky and thumb work quite well for the bass, and then quickly shifting the thumb up to the harmonic sets your other fingers directly over the other notes in the chord. Choosing which fingers to play them with depends entirely on the chord being played - but I wouldn't recommend playing them with the pinky in any case, as it will be zooming down to catch the next bass line.

Like I say, if you practice enough you'll get it eventually.

Admittedly the only ragtime I've attempted to play is Scott Joplin, but with him (at least) I don't see how you can play the octave left-hand chords with just your little finger because they consist of two notes. Umm.

I've also been told that one of the most important things about playing ragtime is not to play it too fast, which a lot of people do (me included because it's fun. Despite the fact I make twice as many mustakes. Oh well)

I play the alto saxaphone (can you play ragtime with that?). What other instruments can play rag-time?
My brother plays piano, and he is in 5th grade. (He used to play 'The Entertainer', now he is more into classical stuff. And he's only 13!)